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Career Decision
Point - Plateau
When you have been at CAD Management for a while you may feel
like you have reached a plateau. Some plateaus are real
and some are just imagined. It could be that you have just
hit a season of extended normalcy without the rush of
expectations and demands of change.
But I think that plateaus are not necessarily bad. They
don't always signal a stagnation in your career.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when you
are on a plateau:
1. This may just be a short rest before
the next big step
Enjoy the respite and plan for tomorrow.
While you are enjoying some time to think about what you
have done in the past, get ready for the next thing to come.
Think about what tools you may be lacking. What steps
can be more efficient. Map out the process that you
will take whwn things get going again.
2. Determine if the stall is you or the
firm
Is it you? Are you tired or burned
out. Do you lack some of the zeal you had before.
Look to the root causes and see if there are reasons for
your lack of energy. Determine if you need to just
relax for a short term or if you need to return to the level
of energy you are use to.
If you have been climbing the ladder with
regularity then it most likely is not you that has stalled.
It may be the firm. Are they still on the cutting
edge? Do they still lead the pack? Are they
still giving you opportunities for growth?
3. Get some visibility inside and outside the firm
Maybe you have been with the firm so long that some have
begun to think of you as part of the furniture. Take on some
higher profile tasks. Offer to help other with their projects.
Look outward and get involved with a local user group or
industry organization. Seek ways to increase your level of
interaction with the leaders in your industry.
The point here is that you have more decisions to make.
Where to go next. To seek something to expand your career, or move
along to another location.
December 2007
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